CNN’s Harry Enten Declares Spike in Gas Prices is ‘Killer Stuff’ for Republicans Hoping to Keep Majority

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten had a dire warning for the GOP, calling the recent spike in gas prices “killer stuff” for Republicans’ hopes to hang on to their congressional majorities.

The polling numbers for President Donald Trump and the GOP have been brutal as his second term has progressed, with Americans’ views on his handling of the economy — a topic on which he had previously outpolled Democrats — taking a dive. The president’s war in Iran has been another issue dragging down his polling, specifically because of its impact on gas prices.

On Monday’s episode of CNN News Central, anchor John Berman introduced the segment by reporting on the “big jump overnight” in oil prices, and the price of gas at around $4.32 per gallon, “which is pretty high.”

“It kind of feels like gas prices have gone up more this year than they do normally in election year,” commented Berman as he introduced Enten.

Enten agreed, and said this was “a problem for the incumbent party” because the prices weren’t just high; we were seeing “record high spikes in gas prices.”

“Normally, gas prices do go up during the course of an election year, during the course of a midterm year, but never this high,” Enten explained. “This is record-breaking! We are talking record-breaking for a midterm this century.”

According to Enten, looking at the change in gas prices from Jan. 1 to Sept. 14, “the average for a midterm cycle this century is 18%,” but we were seeing a “52% rise this year,” which he characterized as “up like a rocket.”

“Look at that — my goodness gracious!” Enten emphasized that this was “by far the highest on record.”

“The prior high was just 27%,” he continued. “This is nearly double the prior record high. We are talking really, really large jump here.”

The numbers looked even worse, Enten said, because normally you see prices go down after Labor Day, but this year was unique in being the only one in which “the gas prices have actually been going up, up and away” and “have actually risen up 6% over the last month.”

“Normally,” there would be “some relief going on with gas prices as we go into the midterm election,” said Enten, but “not this year. In fact, the relief is not there at all. In fact, there is more pain at the pump now.”

“Every other election — midterm election — this century,” he continued, “the gas prices all went down,” but “this year, we’re seeing the exact opposite — gas prices are going up.”

Berman asked about what the polling was showing about Americans’ views on the war in Iran, and Enten noted that was “an argument that President Trump has made…but the American people, they don’t buy it.”

When poll respondents were asked if they were willing to pay more because of the Iran War, 71% said unwilling and “just 29%” said they were willing, Enten said, and the number was even higher with independent voters, with 81% being unwilling to pay more.

“President Trump’s argument not winning the day,” said Enten.

The prediction markets also had grim numbers for Republicans, Enten said, and it was adding up to “big, big, big, big, big league problems for Republicans running.”

“These numbers hold, you can say adios, amigos, goodbye to that Republican majority in the House and maybe the Senate as well,” Enten declared.

“Increasingly moving in the wrong direction,” said Berman.

“You got it right,” said Enten.

Enten shared the clip on his social media, emphasizing that this year was the first time in a midterm election year for the entire century where gas prices rose during the Aug. 14 to Sept. 14 period.

“Killer stuff for congressional majorities,” he concluded.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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